Civic Platform politician asked Amber Gold for money

Pawel Adamowicz, a Civic Platform politician and at the same time the mayor of Gdansk has asked the Amber Gold company on behalf of Andrzej Wajda to finance the film about Lech Walesa. At the same time the head of the Amber Gold, Marcin Plichta, was being screened in connection with a suspicion of money laundering.

"At the request of Mr Andrzej Wajda, I am sending you an offer of co-operation during the realisation of his latest film, entitled "Lech Walesa." I do recommend to you supporting this project," wrote Mayor Adamowicz at the end of 2011 to Marcin Plichta, the head of the Amber Gold, having 7 sentences for financial frauds.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk spoke at Tuesday's press conference about the fact that "it had been known in the Pomorze region for a long time that the Amber Gold was managed by a suspicious man." Why did a politician from his party ask Marcin Plichta for the money for Wajda's film then?

"The appeal was sent by Mayor Abramowicz to a few big companies from Gdansk (including the Amber Gold) (...) All the details such as the amount and way of financing were discussed with the producer of the film without the participation of the city," said Antoni Pawlak, the spokesman for the mayor of Gdansk.

It remains unknown what other companies Mayor Abramowicz wrote to. The "Gazeta Polska Codziennie" daily has asked about it representatives of a few companies from Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot. The daily received an answer that the companies had not received such an appeal or they refused to answer. Finally, it was the Amber Gold and the Energa concern, in which the treasury of the state is the main shareholder, which have signed a contract to give the money for the film.

The Amber Gold company gave at least a few hundred thousand PLN for the production of Andrzej Wajda's film. The Akson Studio, the producer of the film, does not reveal how much money it has received. The Energa concern, in which the treasury of the state is the main shareholder, was the other sponsor. Who is the head of the Energa is Miroslaw Bielinski, a close associate of Jan Krzysztof Bielecki, the head of the Economic Council, appointed by Prime Minister Donald Tusk in 2010. At the end of 1980s Bielinski worked for Bielecki in the Gdansk "Doradca" ("Counsellor") company, dealing with, among others, finance and consulting.

Marcin Plichta confirms in an interview for the "Gazeta Polska Codziennie" daily that the Amber Gold gave money to the Akson Studio.

"The film about Walesa was to be a marketing activity for the Amber Gold," says Marcin Plichta.

How much money did both the companies give for the production of the film about Walesa? "This is a trade secret," says shortly Katarzyna Fukacz-Cebula, the managing director of the Akson Studio. Katarzyna Sikorska, the person responsible for the promotion of the film about Lech Walesa, also refuses to say anything. Finally, she admits that the sum considerably exceeds 500,000 PLN, which the mayor of Gdansk spoke about a few months ago.

During the press conference on 7th May 2012 Adamowicz announced that the city had given 500,000 PLN for the film. He thanked the representatives of the Amber Gold company, who were at the conference, for the financial support of Wajda's film.

"You can feel this moment, you can feel the innovation. Walesa was also innovative for his times. Thank you very much," said Adamowicz then.

When the mayor of Gdansk was asking the Amber Gold to sponsor the film about Lech Walesa, intelligence services were interested in the owner of the company and the investigation carried out by the prosecutor's office was in progress. In May, when Pwel Adamowicz, a Civic Platform politician, was thanking the Amber Gold, the investigation concerning money laundering by the Amber Gold was probably already in progress. Michal Tusk, the Prime Minister's son, had at that time already signed a contract concerning co-operation with the OLT Express.

Will the Amber Gold logo and the word of thanks appear on the tape of the film when it goes to cinemas? "We will be realising all the regulations of the contract," assures Fukacz-Cebula.